


of scars and numbers

by SomewhereNotHere



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Anxiety, Canon Disabled Character, Chapter 9-13 Spoilers, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Post-Chapter 13, Pre-Chapter 14, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-26
Updated: 2017-03-26
Packaged: 2018-10-09 07:13:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,612
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10406730
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SomewhereNotHere/pseuds/SomewhereNotHere
Summary: "He'll be outta there soon... right?"Prompto's words at the time couldn't have been more wrong had he tried.





	

**Author's Note:**

> A warning for a conversation near the end: Prompto and Ignis briefly discuss Prompto helping a young girl from taking her own life, but the actual moment and conversation with the girl is not written about. Also implied torture for Prompto's vague answer to something Ignis asks about near the end as well.
> 
> Other than that, you know the drill; spoilers for the mentioned chapters in the tags!

_"He'll be outta there soon... right?"_

Prompto's words at the time couldn't have been more wrong had he tried.

Pacing back and forth for days, waiting... and waiting, and waiting, was all they could do when it came to light that no matter how hard they tried when he was just inches in front of them, Ardyn would not - and could not - fall like so many monsters, daemons, and magitek troopers had done so by their own hands before. Ardyn was different; immortal. You could not kill something, or someone, that was immortal... at least  _they_ couldn't, but Noctis?

Well, he wasn't around to try.

It wasn't until a full week had passed that they finally decided to move on, to leave the Imperial Capital behind and depart from Gralea altogether. Noctis was still inside the Crystal with no sign of coming out, and it was in the group of three's best interest to re-stock on supplies wherever and whenever they could get their hands on them. The sooner, the better, as there was no use in wandering about aimlessly as they had done so for far too many days already. Malnutrition was not something any of them were particularly fond of suffering from, and without so much as a word they had all silently agreed that Noctis would think them idiots for allowing such a thing to happen.

Perhaps they had no finite strategy, but for the time being keeping themselves alive and able to fight was a good a plan as any, even if the path ahead of them was the most unsure one they had walked to date. With Gladiolus leading the way and Prompto keeping a look out for Ignis from the back, they moved onward, back towards where they once came. With their weapons still intact it was clear that, wherever the Crystal had taken Noctis, their friend was still alive. Which, in turn, meant there was still hope... and the world needed a lot of it.

The roads they walked were beyond tedious, but with no Regalia or chocobo in sight, it was the only means of getting from one point to the next. When Prompto first saw the state of the car before they left Gralea for good, he hadn't been able to stop the gasp and choked "No..." that left him in a quivering voice. Neither Ignis nor Gladio said a word, unable to express vocally, or correctly, how it must have felt for Noct to see it in that kind of regrettable condition before wandering off into Zegnautus Keep alone and unarmed. First he had lost his father, followed by Luna, only for his friends to suffer shortly after. Ignis had not deserved the scars on his face, and Prompto falling from the train being his own damn fault had hurt in the worst way possible. The Regalia coming to the end of its driving - and overall working - life after all that, his _safe place,_ well... the Gods must have been mocking him, finding it funny to split him up from Ignis and Gladio as one last surprise, the "icing on the cake" as they must have thought.

 It was no laughing matter for Noctis, only a fervent nightmarish hell.

The three walked, and walked, and walked until somewhere along the way they found themselves upon a familiar train and voices carrying in the wind that they recognised no later than hearing the first words spoken; Biggs and Wedge, Aranea's most reliable subordinates. They were still alive. Good. If they were alive then there was once again hope that other faces they had come to meet along their journey were safe and well just the same. 

The ice that had rendered the train immobile in the first place was nowhere to be seen, even with the snow and bitter coldness in the air. Whether that was from Shiva's doing or Ardyn no longer being in the area, they were not sure, but it was a detail they did not wish to question when the sight in front of them was their best shot at getting the hell away from where they were.

The normalcy of Biggs and Wedge's conversations were most welcome, the animated way they spoke lifting the group's spirits enough to finally think clearly and map their route ahead. It was a long way to Lucis, and there was no denying that the three were apprehensive knowing that part of the journey would be made by boat; it was not so easy to escape daemons on a vessel in the middle of the ocean, and passing by Accordo meant looking upon an island nation whose capital they had left behind almost in complete ruins. Though Leviathan's awakening had destroyed much of Altissia, most of the harbour had been left intact, along with its most prestigious buildings and points of interest. While Camelia's priority had been her citizens' safety, it had not made them feel any better about the way the events had unfolded.

At least, Prompto had been left with a feeling of guilt, but he could not speak on the other two's behalf. He wasn't as quick to pick up on what might have been running through their heads about it all, especially not after the gruelling ordeal he had faced back in Zegnautus Keep for days- even weeks, but who was counting? They had all found him and released him from his chained state, and that's all that mattered to him. He had not mentioned in conversation what his capture had entailed, and neither Gladio nor Ignis could bring themselves to ask.

The beds on the train were not of The Leville standard, but compared to camping they felt as soft as the feathers on a baby chocobo. Prompto felt like he'd be able to sleep for weeks, but he could not afford to indulge in such a "luxury", not when the world around him was going to - for lack of a better term - shit. The only upside was that they still had a place they could rest their heads, if only for a little while, along with food and water. Convenience food other than Chilled Tin Food tasted like five-star cuisine in contrast to the complete lack of anything to eat at all that Prompto had been through for longer than he would have particularly liked. He only hoped the other three had not gone through the same food fate he had during their time at an attempted rescue. Stuffing his face with as many packets of microwavable food as he could had been frowned upon by Gladio, but Prompto was fine; it wasn't like he had ever been seasick before, full stomach or not.

 

* * *

 

Ignis was sick.

Ignis was very sick to the point of having to be held upright and over the side of the boat to keep him from projectile vomiting all over himself. Prompto had not been the ideal person to do this, but with the physically strongest of the three of them battling the unruly waves and gripping as tightly as possible to the boat's helm, there was no way he could have called upon Gladio for help. Wobbly legs had to do and shaking arms had to get on with it, and if there was a chance of Prompto being hit with something undesirable, then he'd have to deal with it, like it or not.

"I believe this is as far as we go, Prompto."

"What do you mean? I thought the plan was to drop this boat off at Angelgard after we find another to get our butts back to Galdin Quay again. Hopefully. I mean, it all depends on whether there's actually another boat for us to do that with..."

"... You are correct."

 

* * *

 

Prompto was good at handling guns, not boats. He wasn't built like a tank or overly muscular like Gladio, in fact he was more like a twig in comparison. Navigating the boat while fighting the tides had been a tremendous challenge, though the thrumming of his pulse in his ears was oddly welcome in contrast to the tightened feeling in his chest. His breathing had quickened and become as strained as the tightness in his chest, and Prompto knew it wasn't just the nerves from the waves crashing around him.

_"I believe this is as far as we go, Prompto."_

There was a reason why Ignis had stayed behind at the haven, not only due to his lack of vision "hindering their plan" as he had argued (or used as an excuse to bow out, until they returned). It was as far as they could go, Prompto and Ignis, not as the three. This had nothing to do with Gladio, and everything to do with just the two of them.

_"You're... doing this now...?"_

Prompto had been so quiet and withdrawn stood in front of Ignis on the haven while Gladio readied the boats, with no hint of emotion on his face unlike the troubled expression that was present when he'd told them of his origins. The only thing that gave his feelings away had been the strained tone in his voice. Prompto thought he had a pretty good poker face, when the time called for it; he kept his voice in check, and improvised well, but listening to Ignis try to explain- to make _excuses_ as to why they could not continue... whatever had been between them, well...

_"To be speaking of it now is something I deeply regret, however considering the circumstances, I don't believe there will ever be a "right time" to speak about this, about... us."_

If heartbreak had a sound it would sound like thousands of pieces of glass shattering into smaller fragments. 

_"Hah... I guess you've saved me worrying. I mean, I always kinda knew this would happen, but it feels good to not have it hanging over my head as a "what if", you know?"_

_"Prompto..."_

_"It's cool, Ignis! Totally cool. It's whatever. We have to focus on the task at hand, right? That's what you'd say. Sit tight and we'll be back in a jiffy."_

Except it wasn't and would never be "cool", and Prompto and Gladio weren't "back in a jiffy", not with the sea conditions so turbulent that they both had to cling to the helm of their boats for dear life. With such a small frame, Prompto found himself wrapped around the damn wheel more times than not, and every now and then a particularly nasty wave crashed down onto the boat and the water almost pulled him away completely. His hands were sore and blistered underneath his gloves, he knew they had to be by the way they stung each time they came into contact with the salt water. It had been the least of his problems when he was not only fighting against nature, but an anxiety-come-panic attack to boot. If anything, he _wanted_ daemons to appear as they'd be easier to deal with than any internal struggle he was facing.

"Maybe an imp, they're not too bad, just nothing scary."

"Grrr..."

Ah. He had spoken too soon.

 

* * *

 

"Prompto!"

"I know, I know, got it!"

 By the time Prompto and Gladio had faced off against the daemons that materialised on their vessels - and won against by the skin of their teeth, thank goodness - the storm had subsided and made the rest of their journey towards Angelgard feel like a walk in the park. The island itself was barren, save for what looked like a prison and nine towering swords stuck on the ground around it. Ignis had given them a quick briefing as to why they were leaving King Regis' boat in such a place. For one, Ignis noted the island's shape; the two peaks had an uncanny resemblance to that of wings, and if taken to represent such, could allude to Bahamut.

 _"You would know about this had you taken even the slightest bit of interest in the astrals of Eos, or even just the stories found in Cosmogony books."_ Ignis had spoken very matter-of-factly during his explanation, _"I have reason to believe that if Angelgard is linked to such a being of whom is said to have bestowed the powers of the Oracle and the kings of Lucis onto mankind, then the only conclusion to be drawn is that Noct will wake up there."_

The other reason was due to the lack of supposed daemon population on the island, though that may have only been rumours told to make an already mysterious island appear more interesting. They all hoped, if even a small amount, that such stories were true.

Ignis had not even attempted to face Prompto when he spoke through it all, and while Prompto had hoped it was only due to his lack of sight and nothing else, even he could see that Gladio had noticed something was... not exactly right.

"You know," Gladio had finally spoken again after they had tied up the boat to one of the rocks on the edge of the island, using as much rope and overlapping it as they possibly could to make sure it wouldn't snap, along with two chains that had been on the escape boat, "I don't get what's going on with you and Iggy, but it's downright uncomfortable."

"Tell me something I don't know."

 

* * *

 

Weeks later, it was still uncomfortable.

Weeks later, the sun was still gone.

"Crap, it's like... pitch black now. Not even a short-lived sunrise or sunset, just... nothing." 

No one knew how many of the rural outposts would last, even with the backup generators, as the majority of them had suffered attacks from daemons that had been smart enough to try and take them down... yet not smart enough to avoid the light altogether and disintegrated in the blink of an eye before sufficient damage had been made. Galdin Quay was still up and running for the most part, even though it had endured the most daemon attacks out of every area they had visited. Wiz Chocobo Post had shut up shop and relocated to Lestallum as soon as the sun disappeared for good. When news of this reached the three, Prompto had sighed heavily with relief. Lestallum itself had started to become the primary refuge place for humanity, and while that brought images of an extremely crowded town, Iris had been the first to call and relay the fact that the town was rather barren compared to what they were expecting. 

"Can hardly see a damn thing out here," Gladio was the first to comment after a deafening silence followed Prompto's words, "Usually my eyes adjust, but these conditions are insane even with a torch."

"Well, if you both think it's dark when I'm the blind one, the world must truly be buggered."

"Dude." Prompto frowned.

Under normal circumstances he may have laughed.

It was not-so-funny when Ignis was right.

They were close to Hammerhead, the only other place besides Lestallum that had fully functioning floodlights and a decent supply of power thanks to Cid and Cindy's hard work. It had slowly become a post for daemon hunters, and Takka's Pit Stop had been filled with supplies ever since. Wires ran throughout the diner, both from the back and front entrances, and those were connected to generators set up in the garage that kept the place from being plunged into darkness. Every other area in Leide had fallen to daemons. Said daemons they had been facing left and right for the last two hours in search of more dog tags. It was unfortunate that their first meeting with Dave in Lestallum since returning had been cut short on the happy side that he was also alive, and turned into a sombre affair when he listed off the amount of new dog tags he needed help with retrieving.

"You'd have to be barking mad to go on a hunt alone in these conditions."

"Ignis."

"Best we fetch the last of these and return to Lestallum as soon as possible."

_"Ignis."_

"Yes, Prompto?"

While Prompto was glad that Ignis' sense of humour - or lack of, depending on what you thought of it - was back and brought even the slightest bit of normalcy to their otherwise turned upside down lives, he was still in no laughing mood to pretend that everything was okay again, and was surprised when he finally registered that, _yes,_ Ignis had actually spoken his name aloud for the first time in weeks. He had begun to suspect Ignis thought of his name as a dirty word on his tongue and was perfectly fine with the thought of him never hearing it spoken again. He was thoroughly shocked by the way it sounded, by the way it affected him after days of suppressing his emotions and believing that he no longer cared for Ignis in the way that he had once before.

Clearly, he had been wrong.

"... It's nothing."

It was like losing all the air in his lungs, like he had been injected with a substance that turned his muscles to jelly, like the ground beneath his feet had opened up and swallowed him whole. Fighting the tears that threatened to fall, he blinked fast and rubbed his eyes, taking deep and shallow breaths in an attempt to calm his heartbeat that had skyrocketed in a matter of seconds. Anxiety was the worst, panic attacks even more-so, and Prompto didn't need to deal with all of that- didn't _want_  to deal with all of that when it was just the three of them and he had nowhere to hide. The sooner they found the last dog tag, the better.

"Got it! Hold on a sec," Gladio had called from behind them, fumbling for his phone in his back pocket while holding what looked like a chain with a rectangular metal pendant on the end of it. On closer inspection, it was the dog tag they had spent longer searching for than they had liked, "Dave - yeah, we got it. Want me to deliver it to the family, give you some time to rest up?"

 _"Thanks ya'll, couldn't have done it without ya,"_ Dave's voice sounded tired on the other end of the phone, _"It's alright, fellas, I'll handle this one like the rest. I know the family personally, so wouldn't be the same if I didn't."_

Click.

"I believe that brings this task to a close. I don't know about you two, but I could use a warm shower in Lestallum. I'm feeling rather ruff after that." 

_"Ugh."_

 

* * *

 

Two years later, Ignis slowly began to cook again.

The kitchen in The Leville was a wide enough space that it accomodated the use of Ignis' walking stick. He was able to move around using it when needed, and able to move freely without it as well. He had grown accustomed to the dark, as he'd told everyone numerous times before, but it was when he was alone that it became... difficult. Prompto had stumbled upon him during times when his usual calmness faltered and there was vulnerability there, unbeknownst to Ignis himself. He could not find the strength to announce he was there, nor find the confidence to push past his own anxieties and be the helping hand that Ignis needed, even if it meant being pushed away; it was that exact worry that had stopped him so many times.

Iris, on the other hand, had been the exact opposite. She helped Ignis become familiar with the kitchen space again, had helped him to find ways around tasks that he now found more difficult to do, and had been a much needed positive presence for all of them. Iris helped Ignis with his cooking, had started training with Gladio, and had even brought Prompto's passion for photography back. He could not count the amount of photos of them both, smiling and laughing, that were on his camera now after so long. It was a miracle any of them were able to smile at all.

Perhaps Ignis' first dish he ever made since losing his sight had not been a very visually pleasing one, but the taste- by the gods, the _taste_ had been absolutely divine. He was able to make simple sandwiches, curries rich in flavour, and while desserts still needed a little more finesse on the presentation side, they were just as mouthwatering as, if not better, the first time he ever made them. Iris had cried with joy when she saw how happy he had been upon cooking a three course meal for them all. After days of being like ships that pass in the night - or rather didn't, as the eternal night was not ideal for sailing - for once they had decided to sit down to the table together, and Ignis had taken advantage of that. Gladio and Prompto were not able to hold back the small tears in their eyes after such a delicious meal either. To say they were proud would be an understatement.

Every now and then Prompto would pop by the kitchen to see how Ignis was doing. Force of habit from when he had done so before the world went to hell, and before they had gone through their "falling out", as Gladio had come to name it. The phrasing of it made Prompto cringe. For the most part, both he and Ignis were on speaking terms again as they had never really fallen out to begin with; it had only been the end of something that not even they could put a name to. Had they been dating? Had they even acknowledged it as such past the awkward confession Prompto had dropped on Ignis that time they got split up from Noct and Gladio, searching for some material or other in a long and winding cave? When Prompto had all but panicked and nearly fallen over the edge of a high rock in the process, that led down a dead-end he would have never been able to climb back up from, had he not been pulled back by Ignis just in time, and so hard that their lips smashed together?

Ignis had actually laughed and given Prompto the most genuine smile he had ever seen on the other man's face after that, along with another kiss, but this time planted much gentler on his right cheek.

"Hey, Ignis?" Prompto spoke up after he'd finished washing the last dish in the sink, turning to face him where he leant against the other counter, "That sure was something. I'm happy for you."

"And I am pleased that you enjoyed it. While it has been a difficult endeavour, it has been a worthwhile one indeed."

Silence.

"Sooo anyway, guess I'll head to bed since it's kinda late. Cindy needs my help back at Hammerhead tomorrow with collecting a-"

"Prompto."

"Yeah?"

Warm.

The only thing Prompto had been able to register at the time is that it had felt warm. Trembling arms had snuck their way around his back, pulling him in, whilst shaky hands tugged at the material of his shirt, balling into fists. It took him a few seconds after realising what was the cause of the sensation he felt, to then register who had been the source of it; Ignis was so warm.

He clung to Prompto much like a child did a mother for comfort. There was nothing he could do after freezing up on the spot, but let Ignis do whatever he needed to do. Whilst it killed him inside to be so close to the person he still loved - no matter how hard he tried to banish the feeling - after everything that had kept them apart, including Ignis himself, part of him was... happy.

"Dare I be so selfish to ask," Ignis' voice was quiet, soft, almost fragile sounding, "May we stay like this for a while longer? Only a moment..."

"... Take all the time you need, buddy."

 

* * *

 

Months later, things were weird.

Scratch that, things were somewhat fine; Prompto came to help Cindy more at the garage, hunts were better coordinated with Gladio and Iris having taken the lead, thus reducing the amount of dog tags that showed up in the middle of nowhere, and on top of that Aranea had joined the fray with the hunt against daemons, saving people in danger with the use of her drop ship. Once feared, she was now revered by the people of Lucis. As for Ignis? His cooking prowess was back with a vengeance, and he'd slowly begun to move around without a walking stick, but...

Ignis was weird.

Every now and then, Prompto would find himself far closer to Ignis than he would particularly like. Physically close, even outside of battle, and each time it was more awkward than the last. While there had been no embraces like the time in the kitchen of The Leville, there had been moments where hands had lingered on hands for much longer than was necessary. A hold on Prompto's shoulder, a touch against the small of his back, all of it had lasted seconds - maybe minutes - that had been far too prolonged to ignore. That being the case, nothing was ever said. Prompto had put it down to Ignis' lack of vision, but even then it was a poor explanation. While still taking the odd tumble, Ignis had not fallen or struggled the same as he had the first time they got off the train back when they were travelling towards Tenebrae. There was no need for anyone to hold him, likewise there was no need for him to hold onto someone for support. Not that he had done so to begin with.

For a long while, Prompto kept an eye on Ignis once they had started to go their separate ways on hunts.

It was unnerving being without them, not because Prompto felt incapable on his own, rather they had always been there right from the beginning. It was as if something was missing... much like Noctis. Two and a half years later, his best friend was still stuck inside the Crystal, deep within Zegnautus Keep if it had not been moved. He truly hoped he would not wake up back inside that place and instead where Ignis had assumed he would, his reasoning explained to them with more confidence than Prompto would have ever been able to muster. Letting his mind wander to such thoughts had him remember his own feelings of isolation deep within the chambers. Maybe it was why he couldn't quite leave Ignis alone until he was sure enough that he did not feel the same. He was completely alone in a different type of darkness, after all.

"I can hear your breathing, Prompto."

"Nope, not me, don't know what you're talking about."

It was the first time he'd been caught. Ignis' senses had heightened slowly over time, both of their own accord, along with him training himself to be more aware through touch, sound, smell, and taste. Prompto was forever amazed by how well his friend was getting by, with next to no help at all. Even so, he still worried.

"How long have you been following me?"

"An hour or so."

"Let me rephrase that; for how long have you been following me by the count of days?"

Prompto thought he had a pretty good poker face, when the time called for it; he kept his voice in check, and improvised well, but ever since the first time he tried to hide his true feelings from Ignis, it suddenly dawned on him that he would never succesfully do that.

Ignis could not see his expression, and as awful as it was, he was actually thankful for it.

"... A few."

"I am not-so incompetent as you may think, Prompto. To be quite frank, I find myself rather vexed." Ignis' tone was clipped, voice slightly louder than usual, and Prompto flinched in response, "Now, please, if you would be so kind... I think it would be best if you were on your way. I can take care of myself perfectly well, thank you."

He could feel that same feeling he had in his chest, when it had been just the two of them, up on that haven two years ago. It hurt, but somehow it was more bearable the second time around.

Ignis was okay, he knew that, but was it so wrong for him to care? 

"Don't be out here for too long, you might catch a cold."

Prompto never realised that rain was falling from the sky, until Ignis had brought his attention to it. He lifted his hands up to his face and held them there against his cheeks. They were cold, wet from the rain, but not warm enough for it to have been his own tears falling down his cheeks. At least that was something.

"Same to you."

 

* * *

 

 "How long do we have to wait?"

Months later, Lestallum was heaving with the last of humanity. There had been an influx in the second year with hunters having found those that were hiding and running from daemons in various areas, on the brink of being ripped apart or eaten, sometimes both. After that, they had not come across any last threads of humankind since. The Leville occupied far more than it should have been capable of, people's homes had many families and individuals crammed into one, and everyone else had set up camps wherever there was space. It was noisy and stuffier than the town had ever been before the Starscourge engulfed the entirety of Eos.

While artificial sunlight helped plantation grow healthy enough to be harvested for a continuous food supply, it did not have the same effect on humans. The doctors that were left in the town had come together to provide the people with the vitamin nutrients they lacked from the absence of the sun and other foods they had once taken for granted. Lestallum had always been the sunniest area amongst its neighbouring towns and outposts, and now with that no longer being the case, many new health problems surfaced for those that once thought they were perfectly fine.

"How long is it gonna be until Noct gets his ass out of that damn Crystal and actually do something for once?" Gladio continued and popped the cap of his tablet pot open to down two pills, as they were now used to doing as if it were as natural as breathing.

"Gladdy..."

"Don't "Gladdy" me, Iris, we're all thinking it. How long, huh?"

They had made a small headquarters of their own in Lestallum, inside an abandoned café. The small tables had been pushed together to sit them all; Gladio, Iris, Ignis, and Prompto. Aranea had briefly been in the room with Biggs and Wedge to see how everyone was doing for supplies, but had left as soon as the atmosphere turned tense.

Prompto envied how quickly they were able to leave without anyone saying a word about it. If he had tried the same he wouldn't have gotten away with it.

"Gladio," Prompto coughed to clear his throat before he continued, "I know it sucks that Noct isn't here, _I know that,_ but he'll be back, and when he is we can-"

"When, Prompto? When exactly is he planning on returning? Another year? Two, maybe three? Twenty?"

"Gladiolus, that's enough."

Ignis didn't need his walking stick anymore, though he kept it inside the café for emergencies. Perhaps a disagreement was not considered as such, but he tapped it against the tiled flooring loudly all the same. The metal sound rung out around the room and caused them all to wince.

"We're all impatient, damn it!" Prompto slammed his hands down on the table and pushed back in his seat to stand up.

It was quiet for a minute, so quiet that you'd be able to hear a pin drop, or even Ignis' walking stick louder than before. It wasn't often that Prompto raised his voice, if at all, especially towards them. For a small moment Prompto was able to hear himself think clearly; he knew where Gladio was coming from, they all did, yet there was no point in shouting at each other when none of them had the answers. All they could do was wait, like it or not.

"Prompto... your arm..."

"Is he wounded?"

Prompto pulled his arm back off the table, rubbing the marks near his barcode. Burn marks, of all things. Too small to be from a daemon, and too precise to be an accident. With all the shouting he had forgotten about it. They hadn't meant to see it, not with the way Iris pulled her hands up to her mouth in response.

"Did... someone do that to you, Prom?" 

Iris sounded shocked, upset, and most of all angry. Her hands were shaking and turning into fists, much like her brother's beside her. Gladio stood from his seat and closed his eyes to take a deep breath, and placed a now calmer hand on Iris' shoulder. He suddenly looked very guilty and that only proved to make Prompto withdraw from where he stood to instead stand by the entrance.

Refugee and resident alike were welcome to Lestallum, even those from Niflheim, but things had not been so simple. While Dave had encouraged people to treat each other humanely, regardless of where they were from, there was still fear of the unknown. That fear caused people to panic, to be suspicious, and to take out their frustrations on innocent bystanders.

Prompto's burn marks were the results of such fears; a resident screaming and crying "I don't feel safe in this world, you're not welcome! We don't want the likes of your kind here, Niflheim scum!" had been the cause of various burns on his arm.

The only way to save his face from injuries had been to take a guarded stance, arms up covering himself, causing the various burn marks scattered across his right arm. He was lucky it was only his right, and that fellow hunters had been on the scene to pull the resident away, otherwise things could have been worse.

The burns were miniscule and would heal with time, unlike Ignis' scars which would always be permanent.

Prompto would have never done anything in retaliation, even if help never came. The moment he lifted a finger on someone else was the day he'd never forgive himself.

"It's just a few small burn marks," Prompto explained for Ignis before he had a chance to ask again, "They were scared, we're _all_ scared, so I... can't hold it against them. Seeing an MT here when the world has already gone to hell isn't something I'd be happy about either..."

"You are not an MT."

"Fine! I was _supposed to be_ _one,_ but details like that don't matter to people who are terrified. They don't think, they react, and I'm just happy it wasn't worse! Look, it... it doesn't really bother me, and it shouldn't bother you guys either. It happened, I'm over it, so let's move on."

Ignis' voice was so matter-of-fact that Prompto couldn't stop himself from snapping back in response. His tone wasn't as calm as he had liked it to be, and while Ignis' eyes were wide for the first time in what felt like forever - even if unresponsive - he couldn't bring himself to feel guilty. There was a twinge in his chest, but he ignored it. There was no way they could expect the most vulnerable of humanity that resided in Lestallum to be like them, so bumps along the way had to be expected, even if it meant they had to personally take a hit.

"Prom's right," Iris spoke up, though didn't sound convinced, "Let's call it a day for now."

He was right, but he had lied; Prompto wasn't over it. 

It made him feel shitty, and he was fighting against another panic attack for the umpteenth time in a single week.

Great.

 

* * *

 

Another year passed in the blink of an eye.

Things seemed calmer in Lestallum, as if the last of humanity had finally begun to fully accept the state of the world, even if unwillingly. Many that originally hailed from Niflheim had dispersed from their tight-knit and isolated groups, instead now welcomed by the original residents completely and without remorse. They were no longer divided, with both residents and refugees intermingled, even volunteering together to join the hunters over more recent months. Those that were unsuccessful had been tasked with working on the floodlights. Apart from the overly frail and vulnerable, there was not one person in Lestallum that hadn't been tasked to a job, whether assigned formally or taken up of their own accord.

In a world engulfed by darkness, having something to focus on kept people's minds from wandering to equally dark places.

"That young girl was okay afterwards, I presume?"

 The room the three - then, four - had previously occupied at The Leville had been untouched and was exactly as they had left it. It felt like a small piece of home after all the hardships they'd been through, and were still going through. It was a place of normality; a comforting constant in the shifting world around them.

Ignis had sat himself on the edge of the bed he'd used previously, facing the area where Prompto's voice had come from last. Prompto himself was out on the balcony, taking photos of what different views he could see. There were not as many photos as the last time he'd been up there, no light carried across the land to capture something beautiful like he had done so many times in the past. It was depressing.

"Yeah..." Prompto kicked a stone off the balcony before he headed back inside and placed his camera on the table, "Yeah, she was. It... it kinda opened my eyes a little. Oh, uh, sorry."

Ignis sighed, "Any references to eyes and eyesight do not bother me, Prompto... nonetheless, I do appreciate the concern. Please, continue."

"Right. It made me realise that many people out there are living, but they're not really coping. It's... scary to think she probably wasn't the only one, you know?"

"Hard to imagine how many others may feel the same, even harder to imagine how many succeeded. It's an awful thing indeed..."

Not everyone had grown up like them - or in Prompto's case, trained much later - and were forced to learn the potential horrors of the world, and how to tackle them if they ever needed to, at such a young age. Not everyone grew up an adviser, or a shield, or a fumbling Crownsguard newbie.

Not everyone could handle the pain and stress without seeing one way out, even if that way meant taking their own life.

"She was fifteen, _fifteen,_ Ignis. The same age Iris was back when the sun was still shining..."

Prompto flopped back on the bed Ignis was sat on, having lost the energy to walk a few more steps to the next one. He stared up at the ceiling fan and watched it spin around for what felt like forever, until a hand on his leg caused him to jolt upright into a sitting position. Ignis mumbled an apology and seemed to be lost in thought for a moment.

"You saved her. She will have hope for brighter days because of you."

"Means nothing coming from an M- coming from me."

He'd slipped up and there was no way Ignis wouldn't have noticed. Prompto winced and a voice inside his head began shouting at him, telling him how _stupid_ he was to ever deny how he wasn't okay. A year later, and the words of the resident he had not seen since the day he'd been screamed at still rattled around in his brain, eating away at him. Prompto didn't want to have a discussion with Ignis about it, not when he hadn't taken any of the remedial tea he'd been prescribed, nor calming tablets on his person. He'd even left his vitamin pills with the rest of his medication back at Hammerhead, and wasn't scheduled to help out down there for another three days. He could have always used the excuse of visiting Cindy to head on over sooner, but getting away from Ignis without having words would have still been an obstacle he needed to face.

He had no choice in the matter when the hand that had previously rested upon his leg moved to hold his hand. Ignis felt warm, and while the action was meant to calm him, it only made Prompto want to bolt from the room faster than he already did.

"Prompto," though Ignis' sounded sympathetic, he sounded equally displeased, "Like I told you once before, you are not an MT. It does not matter where you originally came from, especially..."

 A sentence left unfinished, words unspoken; it had been like that for as long as it had been dark. Prompto took a deep breath and bit his lip. There was no use in looking for something more that wasn't there to begin with. 

"When you were captured, those wounds of yours, did-"

"Ardyn didn't just torment Noct through the sound system. You know, I used to think that guy was all talk, still I should have known better. After Luna, we knew what kind of person he was, but I guess it wouldn't have made it hurt any less, or stopped it from screwing with my head."

"... I see."

Ignis withdrew his hand and suddenly the room felt far too cold.

"So, Gladio... can't believe he got himself a girl without us knowing."

"It would explain why Iris has been hunting alone for the past few weeks. I'm quite insulted that he felt the need to hide it from us. Surely we are not bad company to have."

"Speak for yourself."

Prompto had made self-depreciating comments before, but never so seriously. He had never been the most confident of the group, and it was only Noctis who had heard his true feelings once before, back when they were up on the motel roof in Old Lestallum. The moon had been full that night, the sky lit up with stars, and it'd felt good to get things off his chest.

He didn't want to have a similar talk with Ignis, not when all he wanted to do was kiss those dry-looking lips of his. A small scar line on his top lip matched the one on his nose, and Prompto had the urge to brush over it gently with his thumb before he'd place his own lips there instead.

Ignis had made it very clear that he wanted no such contact like that - hand brushes and back touches aside - so Prompto stayed put, content enough with having felt his hand in his moments ago.

"What will it take for you to see how truly remarkable you are?"

"If you mean "ridiculous", then I already see it, Iggy."

"No," Ignis' voice was firm, filled with a mix of annoyance and sorrow. He almost looked confused to Prompto, hesitant, as he moved his hand and reached out again.

Prompto stayed completely still, watching Ignis' hand as it rested upon his shoulder, moved up and followed the feel of his neck to touch his cheek. Ignis held it there, and lightly brushed Prompto's cheek with his thumb. It took all of Prompto's strength not to flinch away.

"No I do not. You hardly give yourself enough credit."

Every part of Prompto's being screamed at him to leave again, to swat at Ignis' hand and run from the room. Whilst everyone in Lestallum was more welcoming past the first few years of eternal night, Prompto still had his doubts, and he didn't need any added confusion between him and Ignis. The line drawn between them needed to stay as it was, whether Prompto liked it or not, to keep false hope from creeping into his mind. All it took was one more push and the uncertainty to bring him back to a self-destructive mindset, and he wished to avoid that at all costs.

Fighting daemons was easy compared to the internal battles he faced against himself every day.

"Ignis," Prompto licked his lips and his voice was hoarse, "Please can you- can we not do this? It's really hard when I still... Haha..."

 Unable to finish the sentence, he placed his hand on the one that held his face, gently pulling it down and away. Ignis frowned, hand now withdrawn to his lap and balled into a fist. Prompto sighed.

"I believe I owe you an apology for... back then." Ignis tilted his head down and continued before Prompto could interrupt him, "It was thoughtless of me. Given our surroundings, and our own state of well-being, I should never have been so selfish."

Prompto had almost blanked the moment from his memory, and then it came crashing back like the waves he struggled against on the boat. He winced as he recalled their conversation, how uncomfortable it had been, and how even Gladio had said exactly the same to him on Angelgard. Prompto stood from where he sat, walked away from the bed, and quietly paced back and forth in the middle of the room. There were creaks that sounded from certain floorboards he stepped on, but he didn't care to avoid them as he continued to pace. Ignis knew of his anxiety now, they all did, and it was pointless to try and hide it.

Part of him hoped it would make Ignis stop talking; he didn't need his sympathy, never had, nor wanted it to begin with.

 "You may not believe me when I say this Prompto, but I do care for you."

The creaking stopped. 

"And I care for you, and so does Gladio, and Iris, and probably Aranea too, and-"

"No, Prompto," Ignis stood up and followed Prompto's voice to join him in the middle of the room, "I care for you much stronger than you think."

Ignis reached out and and held Prompto's cheek with his hand for what Prompto felt was the umpteenth time already, but this time he had misjudged the height difference and ended up poking his eye in the process.

"You bastard." Prompto laughed and cried in equal measure.

It was physically painful as well as emotional, but Prompto ended up smiling through his tears when Ignis jolted at the mistake and uttered "I am so sorry, that was not my intention at all." in an alarmed voice. It almost made it worth it. Almost.

He didn't push his hand away this time, instead Prompto placed his own atop Ignis' and ever so lightly brushed his thumb against his skin. His hand was still warm and the contact was welcome, and for the both of them, it seemed, by the way Ignis hummed an all too familiar song. It was a tune no one had heard in years, not even from Prompto himself, and it suddenly made him want to visit Wiz and see if the black chocobo was still doing well. It had been too long since he'd been around the usually yellow-feathered creatures; the ones brought to Lestallum were the last of their kind in the darkened world. Perhaps Ignis wouldn't mind going with him sometime.

"Hey, Ignis," Prompto sucked in a breath, "How long have you..."

"Since when we spoke alone on Lachyrte Haven. All this time, and my feelings have never once wavered."

"Wow, you're really awful, huh?"

"Yes... As I said, it was thoughtless of me. Rather stupid, actually."

Prompto couldn't stop himself from laughing at his words, even when Ignis' smile turned into a frown. In fact, it only caused him to laugh harder. He had never been in such a state since Noctis got sucked into the Crystal, nor felt as carefree as he did in that short moment.

It felt good to know he wasn't the only one to make impulsive decisions when under pressure; Ignis was only human, after all, and expecting him to be perfect all the time was near impossible. While he was always the adviser, there was something oddly comforting to know even Ignis could completely mess up. It made Prompto feel better about what they'd been through, as well as about himself.

Prompto pulled the hand against his cheek down, still holding on, "Guess even an adviser to the King can be bad at giving himself advice."

"Bad? Oh no, I think "downright awful" is what you could call it." Ignis smiled, "I won't make the same mistake twice."

"I'll hold you to that."

Ignis rubbed his thumb over Prompto's knuckles, once again lifting his hand, but stopped just shy of where his lips were.

"Remind me; your barcode is on your right wrist, correct?"

Prompto's smile faltered at Ignis' question. He did not speak, and instead squeezed his hand for his answer. He wasn't an MT, he _knew_ that, and whilst he had now been accepted by the people of Lestallum, not only by his friends, he still felt exhausted.

Such an exhausting feeling, however, was quickly replaced by a warm and uplifting one in his chest as Ignis placed his lips against the barcode on his wrist. The kiss he left on his skin had been embarrassingly audible, and Prompto now wanted to run from the room for an entirely different reason.

Even now, Ignis was still able to make him feel the same as he did the first time he realised he was in love with him.

"You're unbelievable."

"I do try."

With a small sigh, Prompto pushed himself onto his toes so that he was eye-level with Ignis and leant forward, removing Ignis' visors once his right hand had been set free. He traced the lines of his scars with his index finger, and caressed them with his thumb. Prompto was slow and careful, treating Ignis' skin as if it were made of glass that could shatter beneath his touch at any given moment. He knew he was not fragile, quite the opposite, but a small part of him was still fearful of hurting Ignis.

A kiss upon his scarred eye followed afterwards, and then a second kiss for the other. Whilst his skin's texture was now different because of the scarring, it still felt surprisingly soft in places against Prompto's lips. If Ignis had not held his face between his hands, Prompto would have continued to leave kisses on his face at his own leisure.

Ignis let out a shaky sigh and pressed his forehead against Prompto's.

"Our marks do not define us," he spoke quietly and there were tears falling down his cheeks, something that had not happened since the moment he lost his sight, "They simply mean we were stronger than we thought. Prompto, I only pray that you do not hate me for my mistake. You are worth so much more than you'll ever know, and I..."

For the first time in a long while, Prompto believed they would be okay; that he and Ignis would be okay, along with Gladio, Iris, and the others, and that they'd all be fine until Noct finally returned. Even if that took another few years, they'd be able to meet him, and the trio would rightfully become four again.

After that? Only time would time.

Prompto rubbed his thumbs over Ignis' cheeks, wiping the tears away while he felt his own roll down his face.

"Hey, Ignis? I love you."

"... And I love you."


End file.
